The invention relates to a textile comber for combing cotton. In the typical comber, a combed sliver is produced and coiled into a delivery can by a coiling unit in a drawbox. In the drawbox, the combed sliver is drafted, condensed, and fed by calender rolls into the delivery can by a rotating coiler tube. A vacuum cleaning system keeps the calender rolls, drafting rolls, and other elements so the coiling unit in the drawbox free of lint, dust, and other air borne matter. The same vacuum system is used to remove noil (shorter cotton fibers separated from the longer fibers by combing) from the combing units. During a doffing cycle, the comber stops and the full delivery cans are replaced with empty cans. Upon comber restart, sliver delivery through the coiling tube must be reliably resumed. Because suction air remains on during this cycle, drawing air through the coiling tube against sliver travel, resumption of sliver delivery is often prevented. A proper method or device has not been proposed for reducing this problem. One attempt has been to open the drawbox cover which encloses the coiling units. This breaks the suction in the drawbox. This leaves the moving coiling unit parts exposed during start-up. There is a natural tendency to reach into the coiling unit area to assist entry of the sliver into the coiler tube. If care is not exercised by the operator, personal injury may occur. Other malfunctioning of the coiling unit parts may also result. Windows in the cover and safety switches to prevent opening during operation have been provided. These have not been totally effective.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus and method for operating a comber following a doffing cycle which eliminates the need and tendency to open the drawbox cover and expose the operator or machine parts to damage.
Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus and method for shutting off the suction air of the drawbox of the textile comber during start-up following the doffing cycle to ensure that the sliver is positively fed into the coiler tubes and fed into an empty delivery can.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method for shutting off suction air to the drawbox during a doffing cycle of a textile comber.